Gearing.



E. E. SWARTHOUT.

GEARING.

APPLIOATIOH FILED FEB.24,'1909.

Patented Nov 23 1909.

3 SHEETS-SHEET 1.

E. E 'SWARTEOUT.

GEARING. APPLICATION FILED FEB. 24;1909.

- Patented Nov; 23, 1909.

3 SHEETS ."SHEET 3.

ELMEB ELSYVORTH SWARTHOUT, OF EVANS'ION, ILLINOI$.

GEABING.

Specification of Letters Patent Pa,te11te l,N 23, 1909,

Application filed February 24, 1909. Serial No. 479,770.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, ELMER E. SwAn'rHoU'r, a citizen of the UnitedStates, residing at Evanston, in the count-y of Cook and State ofIllinois, have invented a new and useful Transmission-Gearing, of whichthe following is a specification.

This invention relates more particularly to that class of transmissionmechanism in which a friction gearing is employed, and its object is toprovide an improved arrange-. ment of friction disks whereby the powerwill be more effectually transmitted, and also to provide a reversingand a speed changing mechanism.

The invention also has for its object to provide means whereby themechanism may be easily controlled, and also to provide a friction diskof novel and improved construction which may be easily repaired when'Oll l.

With the foregoing objects in view, as well as others which will beapparent when the nature of the invention is better understood, the sameconsists in a construction and combination of parts to be hereinafterdescribed and claimed, reference being had to the drawing hereto annexedforming a part of this specification, in which drawings- Figure 1 is aplan View showing the application of the invention. Fig. 2 is atransverse section on the line 22 of Fig. 1. Fig. 3 is a longitudinalsection on the line 33 of Fig. 1. Fig. 4 is a side elevation. Fig. 5 isan elevation, and Fig. Sis a sectional view showing in detail theconstruct-ion'of the friction wheel hereinafter referred to.

In the drawings the invention is shown applied to a traction engine, butI desire it understood that it may be applied to automobiles, or otherself-propelled vehicles, as well as to saw mills and other machineryrequiring a reversible and speed changing drive.

Referring more particularly to the drawings, 7 denotes a framework whichsupports the engine, and other parts. The engine is preferably aninternal combustion engine, and the same is shown diagrammaticallyat 8.At 9 are indicated the front or steering wheels and at 10 the hind'ortract-ion wheels.

On the crank shaft 11 of the engine is a relatively large pulley 12which is connected by a belt 13 with a relatively small pulley 14 on acountershaft 15. The last-mentioned shaft is pivotally supported at oneend in a bearing 16 in such a manner that it may, swing in a verticalplane, for a purpose to be presently described. The, other end of saidshaft. is supported by a lever 17 pivoted at 18 to a suitable support onthe frame 7, and provided with a bearing in which the shaft works. Thefree end of the lever 17 is provided with a handle 19 and is supportedby a standard 20 provided with notches which are engageable by a latchcarried by the lever, whereby the latter is locked in adjusted position.

The shaft 15 carries a friction wheel 21 which works between frictiondisks 22 and 23, respectively, mounted on a vertical shaft 24 supportedin suitable bearings on a frame 25 mounted on the frame 7 The frictionwheel 21 is splined on the shaft 15 so that it inay be shiftedlengthwise thereon to change its position with respect to the center ofdisks 22 and 23, whereby the rate of speed at which the disks are drivenis varied. By mounting the shaft 15 so that it may be swung in avertical plane the friction wheel may be engaged with one or the otherof the friction disks, whereby the shaft 24 is reversed.

The shaft 15 is operated to throw the friction wheel from one disk tothe other, by means of the lever 17 Upon adjusting the lever so that thefriction Wheel is out of engagement with both disks, the shaft 24: willbe out of gear.

The adjustment of the friction wheel lengthwise on the shaft 15 isaccomplished by a yoke 26 which engages the groove of a collar 27secured to one side of, or formed integral with said wheel. At one endof the yoke is an eye 28 through which passes an arm 29 projecting froma rock-shaft- 30 supported by suitable bearings on the frame of themachine, and fitted with a hand lever 31,

whereby said shaft is operated. Suitable means are provided for lockingthe lever at adjustment, said means preferably being a segment rack 32engageable by a latch carried by the lever. From the yoke 26 alsoproject a pair of arms 33 which extend past the friction'wheel and workin transverse openings made in the lever 17. These arms serve to supportand guide the yoke. It will be seen that upon rocking the shaft 30 bymeans of the hand lever 31, the friction wheel 21 will be shiftedlengthwise on the shaft 15 whereby its position with respect to thecenter of the disks 22 and 23 is changed,

and the speed at which the'shaft 24 is driven is varied. I havedescribed the friction wheel as being splined on the shaft 15, but itwill be understood that any other means may be provided for permittinglongitudinal movement of said wheel on the shaft.

By providing relatively large and small pulleys 12 and 14:,respectively, the friction wheel 21 is driven at a high rate of speedwhich causes it to cling to the disk with a greater degree of tenacity,and it is less liable to slip. The friction wheel is also quite thin sothat the retarding effect due to the difference in the distance betweenthe center of the friction disks and the difierent portions of theperiphery of the wheel, is reduced, that portion of the periphery of thewheel which is nearest to the center of the disks tending to drive saiddisks at a higher rate of speed than that portion of the periphery mostremote from said center.

The friction wheel is composed of sectorshaped blocks 3st of leather,fiber, or other suitable material usually employed in the constructionof friction wheels. These blocks are placed together edgewise so as toform a ring, as clearly shown in Fig. 5, and they are clamped togetherby means of plates placed on opposite sides thereof, said plates beingconnected by means of bolts 36 which also pass through the blocks,whereby said blocks are securely clamped between the plates. The platesare formed with a hub to receive the shaft 15. The diameter of the disks35 is less than the outer diameter of the ring formed by the blocks 3%,so that the outer periphery of said ring will lie beyond the peripheryof the disks in order that the latter may not contact with the disks 22and 23. By constructing the friction wheel as herein described, the samemay be readily repaired, or trued up when worn, it being necessary onlyto remove the worn block or blocks and replace the same, which can bereadily done upon disconnecting the plates 35. The disks 22 and 23 areof steel, and the metal surface thus presented to the periphery of thefriction wheel minimizes slipping.

On the lower end of the shaft 2& is a bevel gear 37 which meshes with asimilar gear 38 on a shaft 39 mounted in suitable bearings 40 carried bythe frame 7. On the shaft 39 is a sprocket wheel 41 which is connectedby achain 42 to a differential which is shown in outline at 43, afurther illustration thereof being thought unnecessary as the particularconstruction of said mechanism is immaterial to the present invention.The

differential drives the shaft sections 44 which are geared to thetraction wheels 10 by means of pinion 45 on said sections, meshing withinternal gears 46 on said wheels. Any other suitable gearing between theshaft sections 4A and the traction wheels may be provided, and ifdesired, said shaft sections may constitute the axle.

The mechanism herein described is simple, and devoid of complicatedparts, and it is therefore reliable in action. "he levers l7 and 31 arelocated in close proximity to each other, and are also so positioned asto be within easy reach of the driver so that the reversal, or a changeof speed, can be quickly and easily made. The disks 22 and 23 are ofsuch a size as to permit a wide range of change in the speed.

If desired, a sprocket and chain, or other form of gearing between theshafts 11 and 15 may be employed, and the parts can also be inverted sothat the disks 22 and 23 will be vertically disposed instead ofhorizontally as shown in the drawings.

hat is claimed is:

1. In a transmission gearing, a drive shaft pivotally supported at oneof its ends, a lever supporting the other end of said shaft, means forholding the lever at adjustment, a friction wheel rotatable with andslidable lengthwise on said shaft, a driven shaft, a pair of frictiondisks on the driven shaft, between which disks the friction wheel works,a yoke connected to the friction wheel, and having guide arms supportedby the aforesaid lever, and means for operating the yoke.

2. In a transmission gearing, a drive shaft pivotally supported at oneof its ends, a lever supporting the other end of said shaft, means forholding the lever at adjustment, a friction wheel rotatable with andslidable lengthwise on said shaft, a driven shaft, a pair of frictiondisks on the driven shaft, between which disks the friction wheel works,a yoke provided with an eye, and connected to the friction wheel, andhaving guide arms supported by the aforesaid lever, a rock shaft, and anarm projecting from the rock shaft and passing through the eye of theyoke.

In testimony that I claim the foregoing as my own, I have hereto affixedmy signature in the presence of two witnesses.

ELMER ELSWORTH SWARTHOU'I.

lVitnesses V. H. BARTLETT, THos. F. TORKILSON.

